Cultural Biodiversity Conservation pilot offer FAQs

The Pilot is similar to our other offers, where landholders with important species and habitats on their properties may be eligible for long-term payments to manage their land for biodiversity conservation.

The Pilot will be available to Aboriginal landholding organisations who meet the eligibility criteria.

The BCT has worked with stakeholders to identify barriers and enablers to support the participation of Aboriginal landholding organisations in conservation programs. This program is designed to enable Aboriginal landholder participation and is expected to support the governance, legislative and capacity arrangements of Aboriginal landowners to better enable participation.

The offer will provide a viable pathway for Aboriginal community organisations, such as Aboriginal Corporations, Prescribed Body Corporates and Local Aboriginal Land Councils to participate in private land conservation programs of the BCT.

The Cultural Biodiversity Conservation Pilot will target the same conservation assets as the BCTs standing fixed price offer, and use the existing schedule of fixed price offers ($/ha/year), with the option to request costs for cultural land management activities which support biodiversity conservation, and essential conservation infrastructure (such as fencing).

The pilot will focus on the highest priority NSW landscapes and is offered within subregions that are the least protected within NSW. Within these areas the BCT is looking to work with Aboriginal communities to protect the biodiversity and associated cultural values on their land through traditional land management practices.

Within these landscapes the Pilot will focus on securing long-term private land conservation agreements that protect:

• threatened species and their habitats, listed under either NSW or Commonwealth legislation; and/or
• threatened ecological communities listed under either NSW or Commonwealth legislation; and/or
• important wetlands, shown on the Directory of Important Wetlands, including Ramsar wetlands identified by the Convention of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention 1971).

In addition to providing more time for consultation and appropriate approvals through governance structures, the pilot provides the option to request direct costs for cultural activities, such as cultural burning, where these activities also deliver outcomes for biodiversity.

Following completion of the pilot, a standing Cultural Biodiversity Conservation offer will be made available on a rolling basis from 2025-26 for Aboriginal-owned lands within identified priority biodiversity investment areas across NSW.

Development of a Cultural Biodiversity Conservation Pilot is consistent with a number of BCT strategic objectives.

The BCT Business Plan and Aboriginal Engagement Implementation Plan identify providing support, removing barriers and increasing Aboriginal landholder participation as strategic priorities for the organisation.

Expressions of interest for site assessments will open on 29 September 2023 and close on 5 April 2024.

Management plans are negotiated with the landholder depending on their circumstances and the cultural and biodiversity values on their land. Management actions may include cultural burning, monitoring, fencing for stock exclusion, weed control and / or pest animal management.

Annual payments available in the Pilot are the relevant fixed price offer for the area of land (as detailed in the BCT schedule of fixed price offers) with participants also having the option to receive additional payments for agreed cultural activities and essential conservation infrastructure.

Fixed price offers are a key way for interested landholders to enter a long term funded conservation agreement (i.e in-perpetuity). Landholders with important native plants and animals on parts of their property may be eligible to receive annual payments to manage biodiversity on their property.

The fixed price offer is a standing offer open to landholders within priority investment areas across NSW. Landholders in fixed price offer areas can express interest in a site visit at any time. The BCT will assess applications for its fixed price offer on a value for money basis each year subject to investment allocation. Successful landholders enter a fixed price conservation agreement with the BCT. Fixed price offer agreements are registered on the land title with successful landholders receiving an annual payment ($/ha/year) in-perpetuity to manage their land to maintain and enhance the important biodiversity and conservation values.

Landholders can also apply for an essential conservation infrastructure payment to assist with establishing a conservation area in addition to their annual payment schedule.

The schedule of fixed price offers has been developed for each eligible Local Government Area (LGA) informed by land valuation research that identifies average market values for grazing land with consideration of fencing, artificial watering points and pasture improvement.

The method does not consider values associated with buildings, fixed plant or irrigation licenses.

A base value is applied to the average market values and factors in a reasonable rate of return for landholders, to provide the schedule of fixed price offers.

The BCT Board approves the schedule of fixed price offers which is published on the BCT website.